MARCH 29, 2024 EDition

Graduation Parent Meeting

Parents/guardians of graduates in the Class of 2024 should plan on attending the Parent Graduation Meeting at 6:30 p.m. on April 3.

Details regarding the venue, ceremony protocol, graduation dress code, etc. will be shared.  

Graduates will receive information at school and, due to space limitations, are asked not to attend this meeting.

Construction on Alkire Street

The City of Arvada will begin construction on Alkire Street at Farmer's Highline Canal between 78th and 80th Ave. on Monday,  March 4th.  Pedestrian access will be closed on the shoulders on the east side of the road during construction.  Pedestrian access will be maintained on the west side of Alkire for the duration of construction. There will be lane closures on Alkire Street with temporary traffic signals to direct one-way traffic.                                           

Hazel Health

Mental, social and emotional wellness of students is a priority that we share with our community and one that we are addressing with layers of support including school counselors, social emotional learning specialists, school psychologists, social workers along with partnerships with outside agencies like Hazel Health. 

This year, we continue our partnership with Hazel Health’s Telehealth services to provide a free telehealth extension of mental and physical health support for Jeffco students enrolled at district-managed schools accessed at home with a parent/guardian. 

Parents/guardians may access these services on behalf of your student by visiting this webpage and following the instructions for – Steps to Access Care. 

SAT and PSAT Standardized Testing

Here are the upcoming spring testing dates for RVHS: 

Students should arrive at 8:00 a.m. and testing will conclude around 11:00 a.m. for standard testing rooms.  Students in testing rooms with extended time accommodations will be released later.  Buses will run as normal on this day and lunch will be served.  Any students who remain on campus after they have completed testing will be supervised in the gymnasium until dismissal at 3:30 p.m.

CMAS Standardized Testing

RVHS Juniors will be participating in the CMAS Science Assessment during the school day in their science class the week of April 2-5.  The CMAS Science Assessment measures our student's knowledge directly related to their learning in science.  It consists of two 60-minute sessions.  For information on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS), please view this DOCUMENT. Science teachers will communicate to students about the exact testing schedule, the coinciding class schedule, and their room assignment for CMAS.  Here are some alternate situations that will be communicated by their science teacher: 

​**If your student is a Junior and is taking both Chemistry and Physics, they will test during their Physics class.  

​**If your student is a Junior and only has Chemistry as their science class, they will test on Tuesday, April 9th, from 8:15am-10:30am in room S1115.  

​**If your student is a Sophomore or Senior in Physics or Conceptual Chemistry, they should go to their science class first and then will go to the library during the testing session where attendance will be taken.

Warren TecH Students

**If your student is a Junior and does not have a scheduled science class at RVHS (due to taking classes at Warren Tech), they will test on the following days and times:

If you have any questions about CMAS, please contact your student’s counselor or Mike Ackerman, the 11th Grade Assistant Principal.  

Thank you for your continued support of our students.

Drop Off and Pick Up

It is a great time to remind everyone to be thoughtful of our neighbors during drop off and pick up.  We must keep the right of way clear for emergency vehicles and through traffic.  With only one road to enter and exit a building this size, with this many people, the roads at the school will always be congested.  There are a few things we can do as a Ralston Valley community to help make these busy times of day run as smoothly as possible.  

Main Entrance - Please be sure to pull as far forward as you can in the loop at the front of the school when dropping off or picking up your student.  This helps to alleviate backups in the roundabout and get as many cars off of 80th Ave. as quickly as possible.  

Roundabout - The roundabout is part of the road.  Please do not park in the roundabout while waiting for dismissal time.  This blocks the flow of eastbound traffic and prevents traffic exiting to the east from leaving campus as well. Please do not stop and pick up your student in the roundabout or on 80th Ave.

Fire Station - As traffic backs up on southbound Alkire, please be sure to leave room for our first responders to exit the firehouse safely and without obstruction.  Do not block the exit of their garage.

82nd Ave. - Please pay attention to posted road signs along 82nd Ave.  There are multiple speedbumps on 82nd Ave., making it necessary to go the speed limit or slower to ensure safe driving and prevent damage to your vehicle.  There are also multiple No Parking signs along 82nd Ave. next to the school's property.  Please do not park there to pick up your student.

Thank you for your continued diligence when driving in and around Ralston Valley.

activities 

RV Speech and Debate Club Host National Competition

Thank you so much to our school for supporting our first-ever national-level competition season this year! We were able to host a successful and awesome tournament on Saturday, March 16, to determine the top competitors of our region to represent us at Nationals in Congressional Debate. Our region includes Jefferson County high schools and 17 other schools from the northern part of the Denver Metro area. To reach the National tournament, students compete over 3-4 days and beat out many other students for one or two coveted seats in each event, a very challenging task for any student. 

Here are the RVHS competitors, students in bold received top accolades:

Ella Lindholm - Informative Speaking TOP FINALIST

Holden Hanou- Original Oratory & Top Six Finalist in House Congress

Riley DiGiosio - Informative Speaking & Senate Debate

Zayne Yeager - Lincoln Douglas Debate

Pragna Yalavarthy- House Congressional Debate

Elana Campo- House Congressional Debate

Eden Wagonlander - House Congressional Debate FINALIST!

Daniel Harness - Senate Congress Debate

 

Our students did a great job researching, practicing, and using their voices to advocate for change. We are so grateful to have been a part of their work and journey this year! Thank you for all your kindness and support. Our season is now over, but e are already gearing up for next year and always on the look out for more students to join our growing team.

RVHS PTSA Scholarship Opportunity


Calling all Seniors!   RVHS PTSA is offering a scholarship opportunity for those seniors who meet the following guidelines:


A total of $3,500 will be awarded to the top applicants.  After reviewing the applications and interviewing selected applicants, the RVHS PTSA will determine the number of scholarships and the amounts to be awarded (for example, two $1,000 awards and two $500 awards OR any other combination for a total of $3,000).  To apply, please go to the RVHS PTSA Website  http://rvptsa.digitalpto.com/.

Applications are due to the front office by Friday, April 12, 2024.  Interviews for selected finalists may occur in early May 2024. Announcements will be made by the end of May 2024.  If you have any questions, you may contact Scott Cochran, PTSA President, at rvptsa@gmail.com.  Good luck to all our applicants!


athletics 

Welcome Back From the Snow and Sunshine

I hope you all were able to enjoy some sunshine after digging yourself out of the pre-spring break snow storm.  While that made quite a couple of weeks, we still had our athletes doing great things.

Swim and Dive - Before break, our swim and dive team took on Columbine, Valor, and Pomona, coming away with a first place finish.  They then headed to Arapahoe for the Arapahoe Invite and came away with another first place finish, squeaking out the win over 2nd place Arapahoe 458-449.  They get back to work tomorrow at Carmody at 4:00.

Baseball - After getting snowed out of their game with Boulder before break, the team headed down to AZ to play in a big spring break tournament.  They played really well, coming away 2-2 against some stiff competition.  The head to Smoky Hill this afternoon for a non-league game against the Buffaloes.

BLAX - Due to snow and spring break, boys lacrosse will play their first game since March 9th tonight against Green Mountain.  Game time is 7:00 at Jeffco Stadium.  Having outscored their first two opponents 32-3, the boys look to have another big night.

GLAX - Lost their season opener to Palmer Ridge before break 12-11 in overtime.  The girls battled back after being down 8-1 to take the lead at one point 11-10.  The team showed a lot of grit.  They have a home game tomorrow at Ralston Valley on the turf field at 11:30 against Chaparral.  

Soccer - With just three games left until they start league play, the soccer team enters a tough three game test.  They will host Mountain Vista at the school tomorrow at 4:30 on the turf field.  Next week, they have Evergreen and defending state champion Jefferson Academy.  Good luck.  

Tennis - The girls are looking amazing to start the season.  Champions of the Western Invite in Grand Junction, they swept powerhouse Fossil Ridge last night 7-0.  They will jump into league action on Tuesday against Chatfield and follow that up with a big match against Valor on Wednesday.  Both matches start right after school at the APEX Tennis Center.

Track and Field - The Track and Field team will be out at Jeffco Stadium tomorrow for the Arvada City Championships.  The defending champs are looking to continue their reign against Pomona, Arvada West, Forge, and Jefferson Academy.  With many athletes currently sitting as state qualifiers, both the girls and boys programs are poised for a great spring.

Golf - The girls will have their first tournament of the season on Monday at Meadows Golf Course.  Good luck in kicking off what should be a great season.

Hometown Ticketing - All Jeffco events have gone cashless this year.  When attending games at our schools or stadiums, save yourself time by purchasing your tickets ahead of time by using the link below.  You can also purchase punch passes to use for your entire family.  Punch passes will save you money on processing fees.

HOMETOWN TICKETING BOX OFFICE

off campus policy

Due to the nature of our campus, we do not allow students to walk off campus during the school day.  

9th grade students are not allowed off campus at any point during the school day unless they leave with their parents/guardians. 

If your 10th grade student is driving, they may leave campus with parental permission.  They are expected to follow local and state driving laws.  Please click on this FORM to give your sophomore child the ability to leave campus with your permission.  

Our campus is not closed to our 11th and 12th grade students and they may leave campus. 

 Schedule for The week 

April 1 - 5, 2024

Monday, Apr. 1st - Silver Day 

Tuesday, Apr. 2nd - White Day

Wednesday, Apr. 3rd -  Blue Day

Thursday, Apr. 4th - White Day 

Friday, Apr. 5th  - Blue Day

Counseling Department

Mustang Mentor Program (MMP) Application Now Open! 

Current 10th and 11th graders are encouraged to apply to be a mentor for next year's 9th graders!  The Mustang Mentor Program is an excellent opportunity to hone leadership skills and be a positive influence at RV and in other students' lives.  Students can click here to access the application - they will need to be signed in to their Jeffco Google account. 

Upcoming College Visits

Representatives from the following colleges will be in the RVHS Counseling Office on these dates and times:

Texas A&M University, College Station - Monday, Apr. 1 - 1:00 p.m.

University of Oklahoma, Norman Campus - Tuesday, Apr. 9 - 1:00 p.m.

Three Creeks PTO Scholarship

Three Creeks K-8 PTO is offering a scholarship to a graduating senior who attended Three Creeks for at least one year and plans to attend college, technical school, or other postsecondary training next year.  The deadline to apply is Monday, April 15, 2024.  For more information and a link to the application, click here.

Fairmount Elementary School PTA Scholarship

Fairmount PTA is offering the Campbell-Deane Scholarship to one high school senior who was enrolled at Fairmount Elementary School for at least three years.  The student must possess good citizenship and have positive community service experiences.  For specific details about applying, click here.  The deadline to apply is Friday, April 12, 2024.

Jeffco IT Internship

For fall 2024, the Jeffco IT department is looking for a student intern to work as a hardware repair and support technician.  Students must be in 11th or 12th grade next year.  To apply for the internship, students should click here and search for Job ID 27123.  The application deadline is Sunday, April 7, 2024.

Colorado Health Careers Academy

The Colorado Health Careers Collaborative is offering a FREE summer program to students aged 16-24 who are interested in learning more about health care careers.  Click here for more information.

 Advisement Corner 

Advisement 

This week, 9th grade Advisement students will meet with their MMP (Mustang Mentor Program) Mentors and participated in a fun choice activity.  

Our 10th grade students will continue the Healthy Choices Unit in both Biology and Advisement. This unit will go through April 8th .  

 ralston valley HAPPENINGS

Colorado Avalanche Honor Anna Unger as April's Most Valuable Teacher 

The Colorado Avalanche organization is proud to honor teachers and school administrators in Colorado through the Avalanche Most Valuable Teacher (MVT) program, presented by Ford. The MVT program recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to support their students and positively impact their community, by offering a unique Avalanche experience. We are proud to announce that Anna Unger of Ralston Valley High School was selected by the Avalanche as the April 2024 Most Valuable Teacher. Avalanche Mascot Bernie and Avalanche Ice Patrol members recently visited Ralston Valley High School to present Anna with the award. Anna also received a $1,000 classroom improvement grant and will be honored at the Avalanche game vs. the Minnesota Wild on April 9, 2024. 

For more information about the Avalanche Most Valuable Teacher program, presented by Ford, please visit https://www.ksetix.com/avalanche/most-valuable-teacher/ 

Geometry in Construction Shed Project Takes Shape

Students in the GiC class learned how we could apply volume calculations to real world scenarios. They calculated the amount of gravel needed for our shed project and the same day Bedrock Landscaping Materials stopped by and graciously donated a truck load. Bedrock Landscaping Materials is a local family-owned business, and we really appreciate their support for our construction program here at Ralston Valley. If you need landscape materials go check out their website at https://www.bedrocklandscapingmaterial.com/

Here, Sam Alvarez, Emma Snyder, Kaden Kuenzler, Haden Marshall and Sean Powell are applying geometrical concepts through the construction of sheds.

Legal Systems Students Get First-Hand Law Enforcement Learning

Ms. Filas' Legal Systems class is learning about the Fourth Amendment and police officers duties from Ralston Valley's very own School Resource Officer, Officer Deering.

English Language Arts Dig into Non-Fiction

Ms. McDowell's 11th grade students are hard at work studying non-fiction novels and doing research.

Geometry in Construction Classes Chicken Coops for Sale

This semester's final project for the Geometry in Construction class involves students building chicken coops. The students will apply their mathematical and construction skills to construct coops that comfortably accommodate four chickens, with a maximum capacity of six. This hands-on project exemplifies how geometry can be utilized to solve real-world problems. 

The coops will be available for sale at $750.00 each.  The proceeds from the sales contribute to funding supplies for the program next year. The anticipated finish date for the coops is the week of May 20th, a perfect time for the chicks to be moved into their new permanent home and enjoy the Colorado summer.  An example of what the chicken coops will look like is provided below. 

**We have discovered that the previous link was not working, we apologize for any inconvenience, it has now been fixed, please click here to sign up.  

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